Effect of Driving Simulator Training on Patients' Driving Performance and Self-Efficacy with Paraplegia due to Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of driving simulator training on the driving performance and self-efficacy of paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury.
 Method: Driving simulator training was provided to 12 participants with within subjects design, three sessions of basic driving, seven sessions of driving on the driving simulator. After training, performance time and operational performance scores, self-efficacy were analyzed.
 Results: This study found that the intervention by the driving simulator had statistically significant effects on driving time, performance error, ‘Sudden start’, ‘No neutral gear when stopping’, and ‘Speed violation’ and ‘Social self-efficacy’ of paraplegic spinal cord injury patients (p<.05).
 Conclusion: Driving simulator training can be a strategy to improve driving performance and social self-efficacy of paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury. Also, patients need sufficient sessions more than 10 times of driving simulator training.